Exterior of Honey Fitz at 30-09 Broadway. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Jan. 14, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
A new bar offering a modern take on the classic Irish pub has opened its doors on Broadway in the former location of Broadway Station Bar and Grill.
Honey Fitz, a joint venture by Irish bartenders Sean Doran and Andy Collins and Jack Jones owner Jerry Foley, opened at 30-09 Broadway on Thursday, Jan. 9.
The bar is named after Foley’s parents, paying tribute to his father, nicknamed Honey Monster, and his mother, whose maiden name was Fitzgerald. Coincidentally, it also shares its name with the nickname for John Francis Fitzgerald, the grandfather of John F. Kennedy and former Mayor of Boston who reportedly frequented Broadway Station after it opened in the 1930s.
Doran said the bar aims to bring “something new” to the concept of an Irish bar, stating that Honey Fitz offers more than 40 different Irish whiskeys and aims to provide customers with a “good pint of Guinness.”
He said the bar has ordered old-style Guinness glasses from Ireland and installed a Guinness tap featured in a famous commercial for the 1990 soccer World Cup featuring legendary Republic of Ireland soccer manager Jack Charlton.
The bar also features a “snug”, referring to a small private room typically observed in traditional Irish pub. The snug, commonly used by women at a time when men and women drinking together was seen as improper, was also a place where local families made deals in private. Doran noted that the concept of a snug has transformed in modern times, stating that snugs are now the “cool place to be” in Irish bars.
The snug at Honey Fitz. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Honey Fitz offers eight signature cocktails, including the San Patricio, a nod to the majority-Irish Saint Patrick’s Battalion of the Mexican Army that served in the Mexican-American War during the 19th century. The cocktail, which is the bar’s best-seller, features a tequila base with espresso and Licor 43 and is topped with Bailey’s Cold Foam cream to resemble a 99, a type of soft-serve ice cream commonly served in Irish stores during the summer.
Old photographs of Ireland and Astoria adorn the walls of Honey Fitz, along with Irish memorabilia, including a signed Republic of Ireland soccer jersey from 1996.
Photo: Shane O’Brien
The pub also boasts modern furniture and fittings, giving a modern feel to the classic Irish pub setting.
Doran told the Queens Post that Honey Fitz will be serving food soon once renovations to the pub’s kitchen are complete, adding that the pub may host a grand opening celebration to mark the launch of its food service.
Honey Fitz is the latest Irish addition to the Broadway area. It is located just a few blocks from neighborhood spots Daly’s and Doyle’s Corner. Doran said the newly opened Honey Fitz offers something different from those long-standing Irish institutions.
Photo: Shane O’Brien
He added that the opportunity to open a bar in the former location of the iconic Broadway Station, which shuttered last May, was too big to turn down.
“Astoria has been growing massively for five years,” Doran said. “You can see all the changes and all the new buildings that are going up and we just thought that Broadway needed a little bit of a lift… We were given the opportunity to take over Broadway Station and we took it.”
Photo: Shane O’Brien
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